By Anna Reynolds, MAT
August 1, 2023
With the current state of many schools, parents are increasingly considering homeschooling. You might be one of them! Whether due to concerns about school safety, ideologically driven curricula, bullying, mental health issues, or cyber threats, there are many serious reasons to reconsider sending kids to the nearest public school. Additionally, economic trends have made private schools unattainable for many families.
In contrast, homeschooling offers families freedom. They have the ability to choose curricula and an educational style that fits their children’s unique needs. Even with a rich array of resources and activities, homeschooling can be done affordably, especially when families find ways to reuse materials for siblings.
It almost seems too good to be true: an affordable school option that gives parents freedom to educate their children in the way they discern is best. But for an increasing number of families—including Catholic families—homeschooling is becoming a way of life that facilitates close family relationships and education in what matters most.
If you have ever thought about home education, read below for four considerations that might open your eyes to the real possibility.
Can You Homeschool?
You may know someone who was homeschooled, but you may not know anyone. Thirty years ago, homeschooling was much less common. Now, there are growing networks that offer specific information on homeschooling laws for your state (for example, in Texas, you can find many resources through the Texas Home School Coalition).
Through these groups, you can also find active homeschool families who can provide practical information on getting started. What you will find are ordinary parents, many of whom have never been formal teachers, guiding their children in their lessons each day.
Many parents worry that they are not equipped to teach because they do not have an education certificate. In paragraph 2223, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.” Classroom experience or not, fathers and mothers have a duty to discern the educational path for their children. Rather than being focused on class management techniques and grading rubrics, parents can teach their children one-on-one in the home environment. Whether or not you feel you are equipped, you have the responsibility to ensure the education of your children, and that may include home education.
The Catechism continues, “They [the parents] bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the preconditions of all true freedom.” While this paragraph is not specifically advocating homeschooling, it is easy to see why many Catholic families find homeschooling to be a beautiful and fruitful way of living out the universal call to holiness in the domestic church.
Moms and dads, you are equipped to teach your children. Keep reading to find out how.
Find Homeschool Role Models
If you are new to homeschooling and do not have friends who have already begun the journey, it can be helpful to spend some time familiarizing yourself with educational philosophies that pair well with home education. We will offer a more detailed look at curricula options in an upcoming blog post.
While educational philosophies may inspire you and give you a great scaffolding to start, you may find these formal models overwhelming. There are also many Catholic moms who have shared their successes and lessons learned after decades of homeschooling. Kimberly Hahn, a well-known Catholic writer and speaker, offers many practical tips. Other bloggers and podcasters may resonate with you and give you a roadmap to beginning your own home school.
Plug into Local Co-ops and Homeschool Groups
While reading and listening to podcasts are a great start, there is no substitute for in-person relationships. As homeschooling has become more popular, you can find many different groups for parents who want to collaborate. Homeschooling does not mean that you spend all of your time in your house!
Finding social meetups for homeschoolers can be a great way to meet other homeschoolers. If you have found an educational philosophy that works well for your family, see if there is a local group of like-minded parents. For example, there might be a Charlotte Mason-based co-op that meets weekly or monthly in your area.
One strategy is to spend some time searching the internet and look for local online communities that can connect you to in-person meetups and activities. Even better, if you see a family out and about on a school day, don’t be afraid to ask if they are homeschooling and ask what groups they belong to. Many homeschoolers are friendly and happy to find other homeschooling families.
Find What Works Best for Your Family
You’ll often hear veteran homeschool parents observe that you are not bound to any one specific way of homeschooling. If it does not work for you and the specific children God has given you, you can try a different approach. There are many ways to successfully teach reading, writing, and arithmetic while nurturing a close and loving relationship with your kids. The key is to be flexible and pay attention to what works well for your family.
If you find a weekly homeschool meetup too taxing and disruptive to your homeschool week, you don’t have to go. If you find a particular math curriculum too frustrating and time-intensive, you can try a different one. If you prefer to homeschool year-round instead of following the traditional school calendar, you have the freedom to do that.
Hopefully, in all these examples you can see that homeschooling is attainable for ordinary Catholic families. You do not need a PhD in education to teach your own children, and there are many tools and resources to aid you. Most importantly, there are a growing number of other homeschool families who can provide friendship, community, and practical advice. If you are considering homeschooling, you are not alone, and it is possible.